The invention herein relates to a surgical stapler instrument and, more particularly, to a flexible surgical stapler instrument and assembly which consists of a staple firing head assembly and which is interconnected through a flexible coupling to a handle actuator assembly.
The field of surgicial stapling has grown since its inception in the 1960's. During this time of growth, basically four different types of stapling instruments have developed. One type of stapling instrument is a skin stapling instrument used to close wounds on the skin. A second type of stapling instrument is a surgical stapling instrument which is used for inverted linar anastomosis or gastrointestinal anastomosis. Such an instrument is designed to provide a side by side connection of two lumens of organs. Such instruments generally include two double rows of staples with a cutting blade between the double rows.
Another common surgical instrument is a thoracic abdominal instrument which produces a linear suture line with a double staggered row of staples. Such an instrument generally consists of a C-shaped frame. A disposable anvil for forming the staples adapts to a fixed outer limb of the C of the instrument, and a disposable staple cartridge adapts to a corresponding inner limb of the C-shaped instrument.
Another surgical stapling instrument is an end to end anastomosis surgical stapling instrument. In such an instrument, the lumen of an organ is rejoined, such as, for example, two bowel segments are rejoined end to end. Such an instrument generally provides a double row of staples and a cutting blade. The double row of staples provide the means for connecting the lumens end to end while the cutting blade removes that portion of the organ extending inwardly of the lumen at the connection site.
In the surgical stapling instruments, there is a staple firing head and a handle assembly for firing the staples. Currently, such instruments include a mechanical linkage between the handle actuator and the staple firing head in order to fire the staples. In use, it is often difficult to position a stapling instrument in order to insure a proper and acceptable connection or joining of the tissue. This is often due to the differing locations where the stapling instrument is being used and where the joining of tissue is occurring. It would be desirable to provide stapling instruments which would have a stapling firing head assembly which could be readily positioned at the tissue site to be joined and which would provide flexibility between such stapling firing head and the handle actuator assembly. Such flexibility would also be desirable on an end to end anastomosis instrument as it would allow insertion of the staple firing head or flexible connector through tortuous passages of an organ such as the sigmoid colon.